Diary of Gail Lierer- Week 1- Nov. 1-7

Alarm went off early, still dark but the day has started. Began day calling for parts. We have three major tools broken and we need to order parts to get them on the way. Checked on overnight markets; they are slipping a bit but will come back. Usually Monday and Friday are not good days to sell grain! Dave left for the river with a load of corn. Started my laundry and mailed some bills. E-mails and phone calls I have decided is a never ending job around here. Many people send an e-mail and do not call so you have to check it on a regular basis. It could be an insurance client. Dave returned from the river before 11 this morning and some of our parts we need are in… so off we go to get the parts. After a quick lunch I returned some phone calls. Made more phone calls to get more parts ordered and find out why some of our parts are on back order!! Finished my laundry and had two phone calls for hay delivery. People are in a panic since they have heard the four letter word… SNOW. In the afternoon we loaded the semi again with corn. The blower on the bin is making a noise we have never heard, so it is coming into the shop to be looked at. Need more parts… not good. Pump on the grain Vac is not good. Parts for this is over $6,000. GRRRR!!!!! Had leftovers for supper, need to go to Hamilton to pick up one of our computers. They have cleaned it up and put anti-virus software on it, would not work for me. After returning from Hamilton, returned more messages and e-mails, worked on some book work and paid some bills and started on my Farm Bureau membership campaign for 2011. Bed is looking good.

Tuesday, Nov. 2

Today is our son Micheal’s 28th birthday. Up at 7 a.m. I hate dark mornings. Our grandsons arrive early; we keep them two days a week. Dave leaves with his load of corn going to CGB on the River. Bad news… the blower pump/motor cannot be rebuilt so we have to purchase a new one. I ordered one and it will be in tomorrow. Cannot do without the blower pump/motor, as we have more corn to haul. Dave arrives back from the river late morning and we load up the kids and off to vote. After lunch, I head to the Farm Bureau office to sign checks. We discussed using a cooking theme for the membership campaign and will have more meetings to get it organized. Our daughter-in-law Heather arrived around 3 p.m. to pick up the kids. Have a hay delivery for tomorrow, have the hay loaded and ready to go. Leftovers for supper, did more bookwork and followed up on phone calls and e-mail message. Viewed election results and off to bed.

Wednesday, Nov. 3

Today is our grandson Tyler’s 4th birthday. Our day starts off early; a client for crop insurance calls about wheat certification. We deliver our hay to Cincinnati, then off to pick up a few of the parts we ordered on Monday. Made lunch and a birthday cake for Tyler. Early afternoon we get a call the parts are in for the grain vac. Dave left for Wilmington to pick them up. Making dinner for the birthday boy. He wants Lasagna. Our son Mike is home from work and has truck stacked with firewood to haul. Since no one else was there to help, I jumped in the truck to go along and help unload. Arrived home in time to finish supper and get in the oven. Still have to finish cake. Dinner at 6:30. Waiting on some to get here and others still in the shop working on the grain vac. Finally…dinner, cake, ice cream and presents. Checked e-mail and phone messages. Crop insurance client called about a claim on corn. Will submit the claim on the computer now… then my bed is calling my name!

Thursday, Nov. 4

Up and going this morning. Dave finished putting the hoses on the grain vac so we can load the semi with corn. Semi is loaded by 9 a.m. and heading to the river. My adjuster calls and has quetions about one of the claims I submitted. I answer his questions and check out the information on the computer. Another insurance clients calls about another claim. With no rain, I have turned in many claims. Contact the Farm Bureau office with membership campaign ideas for our kick-off. Busy morning but I did manage to get a few household chores done. Grilled out for lunch…tired of leftovers! After lunch, we loaded the semi with corn so Dave could go back down to the river and finish up with November contracts on corn. Watching grandsons this afternoon. Dave returned and put the semi away for a few weeks. Boys went home around 8 p.m. and I did a little office work.

Friday, Nov. 5

Up for breakfast and started laundry and a few jobs. Daughter Christa and fiance’ are coming home for the weekend and I want the house to be clean. Had a Farm Bureau committee meeting for lunch in Ross to discuss plans for the 2011 Farm Bureau Day at Stricker’s Grove with members from Hamilton Co. Farm Bureau. Our parts for the trencher arrived so Dave was working on getting that put back together. Not enough parts… off to get more to finish it up. West to Hamilton to get groceries for the weekend. Christa and Bryan arrive.

Saturday, Nov. 6

Made cinnamon rolls for everyone this morning. Heading to the Ford dealer to get Christa’s oil changed in her truck. Had a little party for Tyler with Christa and Bryan. Boys stayed here so David and Heather could go to a friend’s 50th party. Grilled out.

Sunday, Nov. 7

Up for church early. After home from church, made bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes and toast for breakfast. After breakfast Dave and Bryan went out to work on trencher and finish it up. Took it to the field to find out it needs universal joints. More parts! Went to Bass Pro Shop in afternoon with Bryan and Christa. This was the first time I have been in this store. It’s big! Dave at home still working in shop. Pizza in Oxford for supper.

Dave and Gail (Herrmann) are lifelong farmers in Morgan Township. They have three children; David and wife Heather and their sons Tyler and Aaron, Michael and his wife Jennifer, and daughter Christa and her fiance’ Bryan. Christa and Bryan will be married on our farm next summer. We have a 650 acre grain farm; we raise corn, soybeans and hay. We raise a few beef cattle for our personal freezer beef and a few to sell. Gail is very involved in the farm operation and will be keeping a diary for the month of November.

Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is a member of American Farm Bureau Federation®, a national organization of farmers and ranchers including Farm Bureau® organizations in 49 other states and Puerto Rico, and is responsible for Farm Bureau membership and programs within the State of Ohio. Ohio Farm Bureau Federation programs and services are available only to Farm Bureau members within Ohio. The political views expressed in these pages represent Ohio Farm Bureau Federation's positions on various issues as they relate to Ohio. The positions of the national Farm Bureau organization collectively are expressed through American Farm Bureau Federation. Any opinions, statements or views expressed through comments or by outside contributors are the express views of those individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.